Serumselenium concentration related tomyocardial infarction andfattyacid contentofserum lipids

A longitudinal case-control studyof33patients withone ormore riskfactors forcoronaryheartdisease and64 controls showedthattheserumselenium concentration (range0-63-1 33 ,umol/l (50-105[tg/l)) was not associatedwithdevelopment ofclinical manifestations of coronary heartdisease during afollow upoffivetoseven years. Thecontentofpolyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid, inserumcholesterol esters andphospholipids was positively correlated withseleniumconcentration. As a lowcontentofpolyunsaturated fattyacidsin serumlipids wasanindependent riskfactor forcoronary heartdisease inthesesubjects itmay behypothesised thatthehighcoronaryriskinsubjects witha verylow serumselenium concentration (<057p,mol/l (<45,ug/l)) mightbe due not to seleniumdeficiency butto the coexisting lowconcentrations ofpolyunsaturated fatty acidsinserum.